Abstract

The pitaya (Stenocereus pruinosus) and sweet xoconostle (Stenocereus stellatus) are Cactaceae fruits with local distribution, due to their perishability and microbial decay with postharvest life from 3 to 5 days. Thus, the objective of this research was to apply chitosan based coatings: commercial chitosan (CQ), chitosan produced by biological-chemical method (Q) and Q grafted to hydroxypropylmethylcellulose in an emulsion with entrapment neem oil (N) (NMQ-g-H). Application in field was carried out in Santa Gertrudis Cosoltepec, in the Mixteca area of Oaxaca, which is a deforested region with eroded soil. QC, Q and NMQ-g-H at 10±5°C and 75±5% relative humidity extended the postharvest life of fruits by 15 days. Q was obtained by thermochemical heterogeneous deacetylation from chitin extracted from a lactic fermentation of shrimp wastes, therefore there is an additional benefit, due to the decrease of wastes produced in coastal area by obtaining value-added products that served as coatings for prolong postharvest life of fruits produced in Mixteca Region of Oaxaca.